U.S. Under-20s Kick Off First Training Camp of 2003

NewsJan 10, 2003

CHICAGO (Friday, January 10, 2003) — The U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team will kick off their 2003 preparation for March’s World Youth Championship with a 13-day training camp in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., from January 12-24.

Together for the first time since qualifying for a U.S. Soccer record fourth consecutive FIFA World Youth Championship in November, the U.S. will play three matches against MLS Combine teams and then conclude their camp with a January 23 game against Mexico’s Under-20 side.

“After not being together as a team since qualifying, next week we will really start our preparations for the World Youth Championship in March,” said U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team head coach Thomas Rongen. “These four games will give us solid competition and are a great way to kick off what will be a very busy three months for us.”

The U.S. will open play against MLS Combine Team #3 on January 12 at the City of Sunrise Fields, and then face an MLS Combine Team #2 the following day at 9 a.m. at the Sunrise Hilton. The U.S. wraps up play in the combine with a game against MLS Combine Team #1. on January 14 at 10:45 a.m. at the Sunrise Hilton. The U.S. will then train for eight days, before concluding camp with their first international match of the year, facing world championship-bound Mexico on January 23 (time and location TBD).

Rongen’s 21-man roster in Florida includes 14 of the 18 players he called on for the November qualifying tournament in Charleston, S.C. Headlining the team will be the attacking duo of Santino Quaranta and Ed Johnson, who combined for three of the USA’s five goals at the qualifying tournament. Quaranta’s time with the Under-20s in 2002 was extremely limited due to injuries and club commitments, and in all he totaled only 64 minutes with the team in 2002.

Two of the U.S. players signed MLS/Nike Project-40 contracts this week and will be looking to impress at the combine. Ricardo Clark, who led the U.S. in appearances with 28 in 2002, and Mike Magee both made themselves eligible for next week’s MLS SuperDraft. This camp marks a return to the team for Magee, who was the team’s leading scorer in 2002 with 14 goals in 17 games.

Four relative newcomers to the Under-20s include defenders Drew Moor, Heath Pearce and Troy Roberts as well as midfielders Stephen Shirley and Justin Moose. None of the players have made more than five appearances for the U.S. last year, and Heath Pearce is making his first appearance for the Under-20s after a stellar season for the University of Portland.

The U.S. and Mexico played to a scoreless draw at last year’s U.S. Amateur Soccer Festival in Houston. The U.S. dominated play and possession, but were unable to find a goal on August 3. Mexico finished second at the CONCACAF Group A Qualifying Tournament in Panama in October, surprisingly losing to the hosts in the finale.